The rise of plant protein, why does oat milk take the lead?

Do people really need oat milk? Let’s take a look at consumer demand to see whether oat milk is a real demand or a pseudo-demand.

One is the demand for oat milk products themselves.

On the one hand, the upsurge of "rethinking milk" in Europe and the United States has led consumers to question milk. Lactose intolerance, casein hindering the digestion of other foods, the burden of excessive protein intake, and the hidden dangers of animal hormones have led consumers to seek suitable solutions. milk alternatives, thereby boosting the demand for plant-based protein drinks.

Compared with other plant raw materials, oat is a "chosen child". Oat protein itself is the leader among grains, and carbohydrates are also rich in dietary fiber and polysaccharides. Among them, oat beta-glucan has been confirmed by a large number of experiments to increase satiety, stabilize blood sugar, and lower cholesterol. . Compared to soy milk, plant milk made from oats also avoids GMO and hormone problems.

On the other hand, today's consumers are more willing to try new things, which provides opportunities for new plant-based milk products, and oat milk can also be used as a new option to meet consumers' diversified diets.

In fact, milk and oat milk are not incompatible. Using cereals to compare protein with milk may be a wrong choice. Supplementing protein is no longer the most urgent need of consumers. People are beginning to pursue nutritional balance. From a nutritional point of view , Compared with milk, oat milk has its own unique nutritional ratio and composition.

In addition, oat milk also used its strength to break the misunderstanding of "carb bombs". Not only does oat milk have a carbohydrate content similar to that of regular whole milk, but 100 ml contains only 4 grams of naturally derived oat germ sugar, which is less than 5 grams of natural lactose per 100 ml of milk. The other part is mainly complex carbohydrates obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis, such as dietary fiber and oat polysaccharides. These types of carbohydrates decompose slowly in the body, which can effectively maintain satiety and help reduce the intake of staple carbohydrates.

It should be pointed out that the technology of keeping beta-glucan intact in the production of oat milk has been very difficult to control until now. Oat milk, which is generally processed with powdered oats, has mostly lost its beta-glucan content during the production process. And oat milk, which can retain the essence of carbohydrate beta-glucan, can also inherit the effect of oatmeal in lowering cholesterol and stabilizing blood sugar. In clinical experiments, using rice milk as a reference, the blood pressure, blood lipids and other test data show that drinking oat milk for 5 weeks can significantly reduce cholesterol levels.

As a new choice in the beverage category, oat milk is not inferior. Some people may think that it is just another option besides soybeans, almonds and various nuts, but once they try oat milk, there are not a few consumers who are simply attracted by the flavor. The texture of the milk fat has also become a factor for consumers to repurchase. In addition, as a new companion to coffee, oat milk, which is not overwhelming, is generally reported by baristas as better than almond milk, coconut milk and soy milk.

Under the general trend of consumption upgrading, people's consumption needs are changing to a deeper level of satisfaction of the desire for exquisite life and the expression of attitude towards life.

With the continuous expansion of the "plant-based" food consumer groups, consumers have become loyal fans, which is the confidence and motivation for major brands and industry giants to deploy in this field in China. With the plant-based trend, oat milk is a good option for self-expression.

First of all, compared to soy milk, coconut milk and other categories that have been deeply ingrained in consumers' hearts, oat milk is more likely to be a carrier of a healthy and fashionable lifestyle.

Secondly, oat milk can satisfy consumers' environmental protection proposition and humanistic care. The BBC compared the carbon footprint of milk and oat milk in 2015. The data shows that the greenhouse gas emissions of producing oat milk are only 1/5 of that of producing milk, and the consumption of water and land resources can also be greatly reduced, saving a lot of money resource.

For almond milk, which emerged earlier than oat milk, Oxford University researchers Joseph Poore and Thomas Nemece said that a liter of milk requires 628 liters of water, almond milk requires 371 liters, and a liter of oat milk requires only 48 liters of water. In the United States, almond harvesting has faced backlash for depleting California's main water supply.

The oat milk brand hopes to convey to consumers a healthy and environmentally friendly lifestyle and the concept of sustainable development. From a demand perspective, oat milk may not be a necessity for everyone, but that doesn't mean they don't need it. As a new dietary choice, if plant milk can meet the requirements of a rich diet and a more environmentally friendly, it may become a consumption option for more people.